Father Tom Burke was ordained a priest on May 26, 2001 by Bishop Donald W. Wuerl at St. Paul Cathedral.

Before entering the seminary, Father Tom was a District Executive (public relations and marketing) for the Greater Pittsburgh Council- Boy Scouts of America. He is also an Eagle Scout.

He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communication from Clarion University of PA, a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Philosophy from Duquesne University, and a Master of Divinity Degree from St. Vincent Seminary in Latrobe, PA.

Father Tom has written articles for the Pittsburgh Catholic Newspaper as a columnist and also a contributor writer for Trib Total Media.

He grew up in the Carrick neighborhood section of Pittsburgh and attended St. Norbert Church in Overbrook (now part of Holy Apostles Parish). He is a 1988 graduate of Carrick High School.

He is a member of the Carrick High School Alumni Association, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Pittsburgh Catholic Publishing Associates, Inc. He has served on the Board at Holy Family Institute in Emsworth, Pittsburgh Athletic Association in Oakland, former Chaplain to the Catholic Committee on Scouting and Pittsburgh Pirates, and also has served on Priest Council and the College of Consultors for the Diocese of Pittsburgh. He is currently the Chaplain to the Pittsburgh Police Department , St. Anthony’s School Program and is the host of the radio program “Catholic Education Plus” on KDKA Radio 1020 AM. (Click here for Fr. Tom's podcasts.)

He is the youngest of three children. His parents are William and Margaret Dvorsky Burke of Whitehall. Bill is a retired City of Pittsburgh Police Officer and his mother, Marge, is retired from ALCOA and Children’s Hospital. He is the brother of Lisa Denk of Carrick and Linda Schuler of the North Side and has seven nephews.

His parish assignments include: Parochial Vicar- St. Alphonsus- Wexford (2001-04), Parochial Vicar- St. Paul Cathedral-Oakland (2004-08), Co-Director of Vocations (2003-08), Pastor-Good Shepherd-Braddock (2008-2012), Pastor- St. James in Sewickley (2012-2018), Administrator of the Catholic Community of the East End of Pittsburgh: parishes of St. Bede-Point Breeze, St. Charles Lwanga-East End, and St. James-Wilkinsburg from October 15, 2018 to January 5, 2020.